Tetra-Composite Ink Set for Ozone-Resistant Color Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink-jet recording technologies face issues with achromatic images fading and becoming tinted over time due to ozone exposure, leading to unnatural color balance and quality degradation.
Innovation Solution
An ink set comprising yellow, magenta, cyan, and black dye inks is configured such that the ozone resistance test OD value reduction ratios of these inks are reversed, ensuring that the achromatic area maintains balanced color even after exposure, preventing unnatural tinting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a black ink is used to form achromatic images, then the achromatic color can be maintained without tinting during long term storage, but the image may become grainy when the achromatic color is light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines black ink with yellow, magenta, and cyan inks to form a tetra-composite black image. This merging of multiple ink components resolves the contradiction by providing both the color stability of black ink and the smoothness achieved through multi-color composition, eliminating graininess in light achromatic areas while maintaining long-term color fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite ink system consisting of four different dye components (black, yellow, magenta, cyan) with specifically controlled OD value reduction ratios. This composite material approach allows the achromatic image to benefit from the stability of black dye while the contribution of other dyes prevents graininess, achieving both reliability and manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If a combination of black, yellow, magenta and cyan inks is used to form achromatic areas, then high printing quality including high-definition and high gradation can be achieved, but the achromatic area may be noticeably tinted when the color fades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the OD value reduction ratios of yellow, magenta, and cyan components in the black ink patch to be in reverse order compared to their respective single-color ink patches. This parameter control ensures that as the image fades, the color components degrade in a balanced manner that maintains achromatic neutrality, preventing unnatural tinting while preserving the high image quality achieved through tetra-composite formulation.
3Illumination intensity
If dye-based inks are used for ink-jet recording, then vibrant colors can be achieved, but the achromatic image becomes tinted as fading proceeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different degradation characteristics to different color components within the black ink patch. By controlling the OD value reduction ratios of yellow, magenta, and cyan components to be in reverse order compared to their single-color counterparts, the invention creates local quality variations in fade resistance that collectively maintain overall achromatic stability while preserving the vibrancy benefits of dye-based inks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The ink set effectively maintains color balance and prevents unnatural tinting in achromatic areas by compensating for OD value reduction variations among the inks, ensuring high-quality image retention over time.
Implementation Method 1
when a patch of each of the inks is formed and is subjected to a predetermined ozone resistance test, OD (optical density) value reduction ratios of the patches upon the ozone resistance test are such that the order of the OD value reduction ratios of yellow, magenta and cyan components in the black dye ink patch is the reverse of the order of the OD value reduction ratios of a yellow component of the yellow dye ink patch, a magenta component of the magenta dye ink patch and a cyan component of the cyan dye ink patch
Data Source
AI summary
An ink set for ink-jet recording is characterized in that, when a patch of each of an yellow dye ink, a magenta dye ink, a cyan dye ink and a black dye ink is subjected to an ozone resistance test, the OD value reduction ratios of the patches upon the ozone resistance test are such that the order of the OD value reduction ratios of the yellow, magenta and cyan components in the black dye ink patch is the reverse of the order of the OD value reduction ratios of the yellow component of the yellow dye ink patch, the magenta component of the magenta dye ink patch and the cyan component of the cyan dye ink patch.